INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTION

• Married, cohabiting couples who have been married for at least five years may adopt a child.  Single applicants are almost never permitted to adopt children in Burkina Faso.
• Married prospective adoptive parents without children of their own are given priority.
• Each prospective adoptive parent must be at least 15 years older than the prospective adoptee, unless the prospective adoptee is the biological child of one of the spouses, in which case the age difference between the child and the other spouse must be at least 10 years. 
• The authorities must be convinced that an adoption will not generate a material profit for anyone involved in the adoption (except service providers such as lawyers).
  

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR ADOPTIVE CHILDREN:  In Burkina Faso, children identified for adoption are mostly from one of the following categories: orphans whose parents are unknown or have died, children with mentally ill mothers, abandoned children, and children who were born of incestuous or adulterous relationships.  Under local law, children can be adopted at any time up to age 18.  If the adoptive child is aged 15 or above, however, he/she must give his/her personal consent before the adoption can take place.  Important Note:  U.S. citizens considering adopting a Burkinabe child aged 16 or older should contact the U.S. Embassy in Ouagadougou prior to initiating the adoption process, as U.S. law requires a child to be under the age of sixteen to qualify for a U.S. immigrant visa.

• The family’s ability to financially support the child;
• The family’s way of life;
• The findings of a social and psychological report on the prospective adoptive parents;
• The family’s motivations and their attitude towards adoption; 
•  The age and state of health of the adoptive parents;
• The welfare of children already members of the adoptive family;
• The size of the family (applications from families with more than two children may not be given priority).

• A marriage certificate for the couple;
• A copy of the family book (official record of spouse, children) when/if available;
• A residence permit/certificate;
• Proof of income;
• Medical documents certifying that both prospective adoptive parents are physically and psychologically healthy;
• Police certificates for both prospective parents;
• Copies of the first two pages of both prospective parents’ passports;
• Two motivation letters stamped with 200 fcfa revenue stamps (available at the local mayor’s office), one addressed to the Chief Judge of the court in Ouagadougou and the other to the Ministry of Social Affairs, explaining in detail the motivation for adopting, and specifying the profile of the child they would like to adopt.
  
  

• The child’s original birth certificate showing the child’s new name and the adoptive parents’ names.
• A full and final adoption decree from a competent court in Burkina Faso.
• Proof of “orphan” status consistent with U.S. law (see the following Immigration and Nationality Act section linked here:  INA 101(b)(1)(F)), which may as appropriate include: death certificates of the orphan’s parent(s), proof that the orphan’s sole or surviving parent cannot give the orphan proper care and has, in writing, forever or irrevocably released the orphan for emigration and adoption, or proof that the orphan has been unconditionally abandoned to an orphanage.
• Proof that adopting parents have seen the child prior to or during adoption proceedings.

At least one parent must be present to file the I-600 in person at U.S. Embassy Ouagadougou.

When all the forms are completed and the medical exam of the child by the Embassy’s panel physician is finished, parents are advised to call to set a date for the interview.

At the time of the immigrant visa interview, the parents’ file must contain all of the following:

1.  The USCIS-approved form I-600A (with proof of citizenship, marriage, fingerprint check, home study and proof of compliance with state pre-adoption requirements).
2. The approved form I-600 (either by USCIS or, if the I-600A was filed beforehand, by the U.S. Embassy in Ouagadougou);
3. A full and final adoption decree from a competent court in Burkina Faso;
4. The child’s original birth certificate showing the child’s new name and the adoptive parents’ names;
5. Evidence the child is an orphan (as noted above; Form I-604, certifying that the child is an orphan according to U.S. law, will be completed by the Consular Officer).
6. Medical exam results from panel physician;
7. Proof that application fees have been paid;
8. A Valid Burkina Faso passport for the child in the child's adopted name.

When the Consular Officer is satisfied with the file, the visa is issued the same day.  Parents might be asked to come back the next day to pick up the visa and a package of documents which must be submitted  to U.S. immigration authorities at a U.S. port of entry.

Additional information on processing immigrant visas at the U.S. Embassy in Ouagadougou is available at http://ouagadougou.usembassy.gov/.  Prospective adoptive parents are encouraged to e-mail any questions they may have regarding this process to consularouaga@state.gov.

U.S. EMBASSY IN BURKINA FASO:

Avenue John F. Kennedy
Secteur 6, Koulouba
01 BP 35, Ouagadougou 01
Telephone: (226) 50-30-67-23
Fax: (226) 50-30-77-75
Email: consularouaga@state.gov